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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

To review any song: Have the children choose a card and sing the song in the style of the person on the card. If you are reviewing a reverent song, you may not want to include all of the cards.

To introduce the song "If the Savior Stood Beside Me": Have the children choose several cards, one at a time, and think about how they would act if that person were in the room with them. What would they do? What would they wear? How would they feel? What would they say? Then show them the card with Jesus on it and ask the same questions.

(Note: the card representing Christ was meant specifically for use in introducing the song "If the Savior Stood Beside Me." I've since removed it from the document to help you save ink.)

Ballerina: turn in circles while you sing.

Cheerleader: "cheer" the song while you wave your "pom poms"

Cowgirl: sing the song with a strong country twang

Dentist: sing the entire song with a big smile and don't let your lips touch

Drummer: gently beat the rhythm on your lap as you sing

Englishman: sing with an English accent

Librarian: whisper-sing

Monster: growl-sing like a monster

Mountain Climber: start singing quietly and get louder and louder until the end

Opera Singer: sing high and with a strong vibrato

Race Car Driver: sing fast

Robot: sing in a robot monotone

Rock Star: play air-guitar as you sing

Snorkeler: sing like you're under water by moving your finger up and down across your lips

Soldier: march while you sing

Tennis Player: pass the song back and forth by having the left side sing one word and then the right side sing one word

Tightrope Walker: balance on one foot while you sing

(For another set of cards, see the post here or here. Also, if you have ideas for other cards you'd like me to make, leave suggestions in the comments. I plan to have a second set ready in a few weeks.)

This game is generally too difficult for the Junior Primary, so I mainly use it as filler on weeks when Senior Primary is finished learning the new song and Junior Primary still has lyrics to learn. This gives JP time to catch up.

Sometimes if the song is short or familiar, I do try the game with Junior Primary. Although the younger kids have a hard time keeping up, they enjoy watching me and the older kids stumble through it :)

To play the game, you simply replace all the vowel sounds in a song with long A, then E, I, O and U. For example, if you were reviewing the song "I Am a Child of God," You would begin with the long-A verse, which would sound like this:

Aye aim a chaild aif GaidAind hay hays saint may hair...

Then you would sing the long-E verse

Ee eem ee cheeld efe GeedEend he hees seent mee here...

Then long-I

I ime I child ive gideInde hi hise sinte my hire....
And so on.

Have fun, and if you do try the game, let us know in the comments how it went!

Friday, February 8, 2013

(For a note on using cartoon pictures of Christ, please visit my explanation here. As always, if you feel uncomfortable using my drawings and ideas, I suggest that you not use them. Thanks!)

For this song, I created the art and lyrics separately. Cut out the lyrics and post them on the board in the correct order. Then cut out the pictures and hang them in visible spots around the primary room. As you learn the song, have the children look for the picture that best fits each line. Cover the words with the picture and see if the children can remember the words.

(I plan to introduce this song with the activity found here and review with the activity found here.)

"If the Savior stood beside me,"

"Would I do the things I do?"

"Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?"

"Would I follow His example?"

"Would I live more righteously if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?"

"If the Savior stood beside me,"

"Would I say the words I say?"

"Would my words be true and kind if He were never far away?"

"Would I try to share the gospel?"

"Would I speak more reverently if I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me?"

"He is always near me, though I cannot see him there."

"And because He loves me dearly,"

"I am in His watchful care."

"So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd like to be,"

"If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me."

When you teach this song, please be sure to explain the symbolism, especially in the third verse. (The Savior doesn't literally stand in a cloud in your bedroom as you pray- the picture shows that He is interested in what you have to say. The Savior doesn't literally stand over your bed when you are sick- the picture shows that He is worried about your well-being.) If you think that this concept will be difficult for your primary to understand, please consider using different clipart.

OPTIONAL:

-Sally DeFord actually wrote SIX verses to this song! To read the other three beautiful verses and the adorable story of how she wrote the song for her daughter, Holly's baptism, visit her page HERE.

-Sister DeFord is careful to let us know that she didn't write this song to tell her daughter to be more righteous, but because her daughter was already such a wonderful example to her! Explain to the children that following Christ means both avoiding sin and doing Christlike things. See if they can spot both in the pictures. There are two pictures of children making poor choices. Ask what those two children did to change their behavior and make better decisions?

-On week three or four of this month, you might consider using the song review HERE.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

This game is one of my kids' favorites! It looks intimidating, but it's super easy once you understand the idea. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Should I post other songs?

To prepare the game:

1. Download the PDF at the bottom of the page.

2. Print the first two pages

3. Print the third and forth pages on the back of the first two.

4. Cut out the strips.

Now you should have a puzzle with the picture on one side and the lyrics to the song on the other. Cut a piece of clear shelf paper big enough to cover the entire puzzle. Remove the backing and attach it to the blackboard, sticky-side-out, with magnets or tape. Note: an anonymous commenter left the suggestion to use press-and-seal kitchen paper so the puzzle lasts for multiple uses. Y'all are geniuses! (I wish I could get that stuff in Holland!) Attach the puzzle pieces, lyrics-side-out, to the blackboard with magnets or clear tape.

Tell the children that they need to learn the song so well that they can recite it inside-out, backward and forward. They're going to see if they can sing the song from the end to the beginning. Take the strip that reads "Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me." and place it at the bottom of the piece of shelf paper. Explain that this is the last line of the song.

Ask them to sing the song with you and listen for the line that occurs just BEFORE this one. Sing through the song and ask the children which word strip belongs just above the one that you've already posted. Have them find the word-strip and carefully attach it to the shelf paper above the first.

Continue the game until all the word strips are on the page in the correct order. When the lyrics are complete, remove the magnets holding up the shelf paper and turn it around, showing the children the picture side of the puzzle.

Note: In the interest of time, you may need to sing each verse separately (second verse first). Alternately, you may ask the children to listen for the previous TWO word strips. This is often too difficult for the children at the beginning of the game, but it is much easier when half of the word strips are already gone.

The original image, "Creation-Living Creatures" is borrowed from the LDS Media Library.

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